A NURSING home staff member has been taken to hospital and schools were in lockdown amid numerous reports of a strong smell of gas across the western suburbs.

Three staff members of the St Hilarion’s Residential Care and Nursing Home on Kelly Ave at Seaton have been treated for symptoms such as nausea and dizziness after being exposed to the gas smell.

A five-month pregnant woman has been taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital as a precaution.

The staff members are not believed to be suffering from serious illness.

They were working in the nursing home’s basement or outside when they were exposed to the gas.

Chief executive officer Marcia Fisher said the initial unpleasant smell was detected in the 122-resident facility’s basement, where it operates a laundry and maintenance facilities.

“The only incident we’ve had has been one staff member who is pregnant has been taken to hospital,” she said.

“All of our residents are fine. The fire brigade has told us we should shut the windows and use our airconditioner on recycling and it should clear within a short time.”

About 70 staff members and 20 visitors were at the site.

SA Ambulance acting operations manager Wayne Stoddart said the pregnant woman was fine, but wanted to see a specialist.

“Everybody else is being managed here on site,” he said.

He said the facility’s nursing staff were monitoring residents, with those who had been outside, in the basement or in a wing with open windows at most risk.

Resident Nicolai returned to the facility after spending the morning shopping with his brother.

“If there’s any trouble, course I’m worried because there’s a lot of old people and they can’t run, they can’t walk,” he said.

“If there’s anything happening, they’re stuck.”

St Michael’s College at Henley Beach was in lockdown because of the strong gas smell and up to 20 people were treated for minor symptoms such as headaches. None had been taken to hospital.

There have also been reports of gas at Seaton Park Junior Primary School at Seaton and at Woodville South.

It is not yet known where the gas has originated from, but a Metropolitan Fire Service spokeswoman said suggestions the gas had come from pipes being cleared as part of major gas works at Cavan in the northern suburbs had been ruled out.

Spokeswoman Nicole Ely said LPG had an odour added to it so people could become aware of any gas leak.

“It’s possible that there has been an accidental leak of the odour rather than the gas itself in the Seaton area,” she said.

The smell is reducing over time and residents and motorists in the area should close their windows and doors.

An emergency response team from the Environmental Protection Agecny is also investigating.

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